smith



(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 1.

S. N. SMITH.

METHOD OF AND MACHINE FOR MAKING LAGING HOOKS.

No. 291,795. Patented Jan. 8, 1884.

I i W7 k f 32444, (Q ZQ MW.

N. PEYERS. Phnln-Lihcgmphnr. Waihinglnn. D. c.

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

s. N. SMITH} METHOD OF AND MACHINE FOR MAKING LAGING HOOKS. N0. 291,795. Patented Jan. 8, 1884.

N. PETERS. Plmmumo ppp r. W: ram 0. Q

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

' S..N. SMITH.

METHOD OF AND MAGHINE FOR MAKING LAGING HOOKS.

No. 291,795. Patented Jan. .8, 1884.

FIE-l5- WITNEESEEI' N PETERS Phukwblhngraphcr. Washmglnn n c (No Model.) 4 Sheets-.Sheet 4.

. s. N. sMITH.

METHOD OF AND MACHINE FOR MAKING LAGING HOOKS. No. 291,795. Patented Jan. 8. 1884.

by @I) 1w:

Puma. FlEnE| Flam.

v III;

F|E|7I FIEIIDI FIGIEI WITNEEEEE. INVEN TDR.

7 machine are necessary than when the three Ihurrnn firarns Farnivr @rrrcn...

STEPHEN N. SMITH, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

METHOD OF AND MACHINE FOR MAKING LAClNG-HOOKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 291,795, dated January 8, 1884.

Application filed August 4, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, STEPHEN N. SMITH, of the city and county of Providence, and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain Iniprovements in Machines for Making Lacing- Hooks for Shoes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain improvements upon the machine and ,method shown in my Patent No. 259,597, and many parts of the present machine, being similar to those shown in said patent, will not here require detailed description. In my said patent (No. 259,597 the scoring or grooving of the tubular necks, the indenting of a blank, and the punching of or cutting out of a blank are performed by the same impulse by three several punches set in the same block. I prefer to dissociate or separate these three operations, and to construct the machine so that the cutting out of the blank shall be separately performed, whereby less power is required at a given point and less weight and strength of material in the operations were performed, as in the former machine, by the several punches mounted in the same block. Furthermore, I have found that I can more accurately locate the indentation with reference to the outline of the blank by operating upon it after it is cut out. In the operation of drawing the necks the strip of stock is liable to be sprung or bent out of a straightline, so that as the strip is slid under the cutter it is liable to be more or less out of line with the die, and unless more attention is paid to guiding than is convenient, imperfect blanks are occasionally produced by a deviation of the central line of the blank from that of the die. I therefore make provision for indenting the end of the blank after it has been cut out from the strip-stock and previous to forming the hook. I have also found that in grooving the tubular necks fine chips are formed which adhere to the blank, and are by it conveyed to the carrier, causing fouling and clogging of the same; hence I make no provision for producing the grooves in the necks of the blanks in this machine, preferring that this should be done in preparing the stock for the machine whenever such grooves are to be employed. The grooves or creases in the necks are not, however, necessary to the operation of my improved machine upon the blank.

My invention consists, therefore, in the mode of operating upon a blank hereinafter described, to wit: in first cutting the blank from a necked strip, then holding the blank accu rately and indenting it, and finally forming the hook.

Myinvention consists, further, in an organized machine for more conveniently carrying out this method, and, thirdly, ina modification of construction, whereby the finished hook is more readily discharged, and in certain combinations and organization of mechanism promotive of desirable results, which will be hereinafter particularly pointed out.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a front elevation of the machine embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a sectional plan on line .00 .r of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a top View, and Fig. 5 is an edge view of a strip of prepared stock such as I use in my invention. Fig. 6 shows the strip of stock after the blanks have been cut therefrom. Figs. 7 and 8 are respectively edge and top views of the blank when first cut out and before any subsequent operation upon it. Figs. 9 and 10 show the blank after being indented. Fig. 11 is the blank after the first bending operation. Fig. 12 is the finished hook. Fig. 13 shows plan and edge view, re spectively, of tongue-piece, which assists in holding the blank in the carrier. Fig. 14 shows similar views of the carrier.

The strip of stock is or may be fed to the machine, as shown in my said Patent No. 259,597, and the blanks are punched or cut out by mechanism also substantially described in said patent. Each blank is carried by the punch entirely through the die D and deposited upon a carrier, A, located directly under the die. This carrier consists of a movable horizontal bar having a U-shaped slot, 0, in the end-that is to say, the foot of the slot which extends longitudinally in the bar is rounded to fit one side of the tubular neck upon the blank in order that the blank may be held in said slot by the aid of a correspondinglyshaped holder or tongue-piece, g, which enters the slot and meets and grasps the neck upon the opposite side. As the blank is deposited upon this carrier by the punch H, the neck of the blank enters said slot and the remaining portion of the blank lies transversely upon the carrier and overhangs and extends for about half its length beyond the side or edge of the carrier. The position of the blank is further assured by a shoulder, on, of the carrier, and a thin flange, m, of the tongue-slide llI. As soon as a blank is deposited on the carrier, the latter is moved to the rear by means of the rod R, connected with the canrgroove on the face of earn 0 by stud if working therein, the rod B being rigidly attached to rod R, which operates the carrier.

The horizontal former N is designed to cover about one-half (-1) of the length of theblank and moves to the right in a groove in the bed B of the machine, slightly in advance of the movement of the carrier to such a position that the blank will be passed under the former and in close contact with the under side of the same, in order that the blank may be held down upon the face of the carrier. The former N is operated by the lever L, pivoted at p, the rear end of said lever working in the groove 6 on the periphery of cam O. The tongue-piece 9 moves to meet the carrier and embraces one side of the neck of the blank, At the same time the flat portion of the blank is engaged by the shoulder m of the carrier and the end of the flange m. The tongue-piece g moves in grooves and is advanced by the swell on the periphery of cam O, and is retired after its work is done by the spring 8, the conformation of the cam being such as to hold the tonguepiece to the blank till the latter is ready to be discharged. After the blank has been carried to its new position covered by the former N the overhanging end of the blank will be directly over the bending-die 1 and in close contact with it. The die 2 now descends and cups or indents the outer end of the blank by pressure between the two dies, the end of the lower being concave and the other COHVBX for the purpose. Die 1 is actuated by lever L and die 2 by lever L pivoted, respectively, at p and f, said levers being actuated by cam 0 which has cam-grooves on its side entered by studs on the ends of said levers. Die 1 remains stationary until after the indentation shown in Figs. 9 and 10 is impressed upon the blank. Die 2 is then retired and die 1 is advanced, as shown in Fig. 1, bending the blank into L form against the end of the former N. This die then retires and slide cl, actuated by cam 0 advances, bending the L-shaped blank into the finished hook seen in Fig. 12 over the end of the former. The former N, tonguepiece g, slide d, and carrierAthen all retire, the hook being dislodged from the carrier by contact with the side of the die block, and falling through the aperture IV through the bed of the machine.

It will be observed that provision has been made for accurately placing the end of the blank to be indented centrally between the dies 1 and 2, and that die 1, which assists in making the indentation, also takes part in bending the hook, and that the tongue-piece, which in my said former machinewas stationary, is 110w movable, and is made to retire to give more room for the free discharge of the completed hook.

I prefer that the slide (Z should be withdrawn before the carrier retires preparatory to dropping the hook, as it usually has a rib on its under side for forming a crease on the top of the hook, which otherwise might bind in the hook if both moved simultaneously. The former N may be retired at the same time.

\Vhat I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The hereinbefore-described method of forming lacing-hooks, consisting in first taking a strip of stock provided with tubular necks alternating with plain spaces, then cutting therefrom the blank for a hook, next indenting the end of the blank, and finally bending the blank into the form of a hook, all substantially as described.

2. The machine for forming lacing-hooks, having in combination the punch and the'die adapted to out out the blank from the strip, a die mechanism for forming the indentation on the end of the blank after it is severed from the strip, the carrier, the holder for moving the blank from the cutting-die, indenting and holding mechanism, and mechanism for bending the hook, all substantially as described.

3. In combination, in a machine for making lacing-hooks, the die D, the carrier beneath said die, adapted to receive the blank upon its face with a part extending beyond the edge, and with the neck in a slot, the holder for the blank corresponding in shape thereto, dies for indenting the blank, the mechanism to operate them immediately after the blank is carried to their position, and the bending mechanism, all substantially as described.

1. I11 combination, in a machine for making lacing-hooks, the punch for cutting out the blank, the carrier A, the holding device M, indenting-die 2, indenting and bending diel, and the former N, all constructed to operate substantially as described.

5. In a machine for making lacing-hooks and in combination with the punch, carrier, holding devices, the former, the pair of indenting-dies 1 and 2, the die 2 being combined with mechanism, substantially as described, whereby it is moved away from the blank after indenting, and the die 1 being combined with mechanism, substantially as described, whereby it is moved upward to bend the blank and then returned to its original position, all as described.

6. In a machine for making lacing-hooks, and in combination, the cutting-die, the carrier adapted to hold the blank with the neck .in a slot, and the end projecting over its edge, whereby they are returned after the slide (1 the holder, and the former, indenting-dies 1 acts, as set forth.

and 2 the die 1 bein also combined with T T mechanism, substantially as described, where- STEPHEL SMITH by it is moved upward to bend the blank, and Witnesses:

the slide (1, the parts being combined with OSCAR LAPHAM,

mechanism, all substantially as described, I I XVELCOME A. GREENE. 

